Burial apparatus



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March 29, 1938. w. w. HAASE 2,112,286

BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 'NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE BURIAL APPARATUS poration of Illinois Application February '7, 1934, Serial No. 710,138

12 Claims.

This invention relates in general to burial apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for supporting and moving or positioning vault parts, such as the covers thereof.

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus for separating parts of burial containers such as a burial vault cover or closure from the base of the vault, carrying the cover to an unobstructive position, returning the cover after interment, and whereby the cover may be assembled to the base after interment.

Another important object of the invention is to provide such apparatus whereby the separation and the assembly of the vault parts essential to an interment is effected by means of the Windlass mechanism.

Other objects, such as the economy and efficiency of construction and operation Will be apparent as the invention is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a prefered apparatus embodying and illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken substantially on line 2-2, in Fig. 1, and showing the burial vault in full elevation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse elevational section taken substantially on line 3-3, in Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a carrier unit.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken substantially on line Ei--5, in Fig. 3, and;

Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view taken substantially on line (2-6, in Fig. 3.

To illustrate my invention I have shown a burial vault ii, of a type shown and described in my earlier Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,8391%, issued December 29, 1931, to Wil- ,40 bert W. Haase, for Burial vault, and including a separable cover or closure part l2, and a base part Similarly I have shown a burial windlass of the type shown and described in my copending application SerialNo. 688,902, filed September 11, 1933, including end Windlass units each one of which comprises spaced pedestal or supporting devices M and I5, and a winch shaft l6 arranged between said pedestals. Carrier strands or cables ill and it are connected at their respective ends to the winch shaft it of both end Windlass units. for lifting or lowering the vault l l.

Cranks it are provided for actuating the winch shafts it through a winch gear mechanism shown and described in my above mentioned copending application.

The above mentioned Windlass apparatus provides means for moving, such as raising or lowering the vault, and to provide means for removing, returning and assembling the cover l2 thereof in accordance with requirements incidental to interment, which requirements include opening the vault and then moving the cover thereof to one side or the like to permit a casket to be deposited within the vault, returning and assembling the cover i2. I have shown a carrier mechanism including end carrier units 2! of duplicate form and construction, and tracks or supporting guide rails therefor. The carrier units 2! each include gripper devices 23 and 24, carried by bars 25 and 26, and devices for supporting the gripper devices 23 and 26 upon the tracks 22, which means includes, in the present embodiment, supporting levers 2'! and 28, each carrying a flanged anti-friction roller 29 at its extremity for engaging the track 22, and an adjusting device or bar 3 I.

The gripper devices illustrated are formed of angular sheet metal bodies each one of which carries a series of substantially laterally extending fingers 32, for engaging beneath an edge of the cover l2, and a series of fingers 33, for engaging the cover 52, substantially above the fingers 32 or on an upper substantially horizontal surface of the cover. The number of fingers 32 and 33 in each series and the position thereof is such that when the plate or gripper device is po-' sitioned and held against a corner of the vault cover t2, the cover will be embraced by the plate and fingers 32 and 33 to an extent preventing relative movement of the cover I2.

The gripper devices are suitably secured to the bars 25 and 26 such as by welding or the like, and these bars are of substantially rectangular form in cross-section. An end 34! of the bar 25,

which is preferably of reduced cross-sectional (ii- A mensions is placed in overlapped relationship with the corresponding end of the bar 26, and a suitable sleeve 35 is positioned over these ends forming a telescopic connection, which permits of relative axial movement of the bars 25 and 26.

The supporting levers 21 and 28 illustrated, have a dual function, that is, they are primarily supports and secondarily levers for pressing the gripper devices 23 and 24 against the vault cover !2 in accordance with the weight thereof. These levers are also preferably of duplicate form and are positioned in the assembly as left and rights, as shown (Figs. 3 and 4), they include a substantially horizontal arm 4| of sturdy proportions having a bifurcated end 42 in which the flanged anti-friction roller 29 is mounted for retation on a suitable shaft 43, and a relatively short substantially perpendicular arm M having a similarly bifurcated end 45, which is suitably pivotally connected to one of the bars 25 or 26, as indicated. At an elbow 46 formed at the junction of the lever arms 4| and 44, the lever is bored to receive a pivot screw 48.

The levers 2'! and 28 are connected by means of the adjusting bar 3!, which is preferably a rectangular bar having bifurcated ends for receiving the elbow portions 46 of the lever 2'! at one end and of the lever 28 at the other end thereof, and a plurality of apertures 4"! are formed in these ends for receiving the pivot screws M3, by means of which the levers may be pivotally secured adjacent apertures spaced in accordance with the proportions of the vault cover [2 to be moved.

The tracks or supporting guide rails 22 are or may be formed of rolled steel of inverted T- shape or the like having a perpendicular web 48, forming a guide and supporting rail. An end of each track 22 is suitably formed to interlockingly engage one of the pedestals or supports l4 and I5, such as by means of a hooked end 5i formed on the track 22 and engaging a flange or web 52 or the like formed on the supports. Pins 53 mounted in the supports M and I5 and engaging in suitable apertures in the tracks 22, may be provided to locate the tracks longitudinally. Because of variations in Vault sizes, the tracks 22 are preferably extended across another pedestal and supported thereon.

In operation, the vault II is suspended upon the cables ll and i8 in the position illustrated (Fig. 3), the tracks 22 are engaged with pedestals such as those arranged at the left side of an excavation as above described and extend therefrom in a common direction, such as toward the right and across another pedestal, a carrier unit 2i is positioned against each end of the vault, with the gripper devices 23 and 24 in engagement with the cover 12 of the vault, and the anti-friction rollers 29 are engaged on the web 63 of the track 22. Operation of the Windlass mechanism by means of the cranks Hi to lower the vault ll actuates the levers 2i and 28 to secure the cover 52 between the gripper devices 23 and 2t. When no further gripping movement is possible, the carrier assembly becomes a rigid unit and further lowering of the vault it removes the cover l2 of the vault II from the base l3 thereof, leaving the cover l2 supported on anti-friction rollers or for lateral movement, independent of any movement of the base it.

After the cover l2 has been removed from the vault it may be moved to the position indicated by dotted lines, (Fig. 1), or to an unobstructive position to permit of interment, after which the cover l2 may be returned by manually moving the carriage assembly to position over and in register with the base l3. Operation of the Windlass mechanism to elevate the base it, replaces the cover I2 and releases the carriage units, permitting the manual removal of the carriages.

It will be noted that all operations incidental to removing, segregating, returning and replacing the cover l2 may be eifected by one person upon occasion, even though the weight of such a device may be too great to be manipulated by two or more persons.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described be ing merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A carriage device for the purpose described comprising, spaced gripper devices, telescopically connected carrier bars connecting said gripper devices, supporting levers pivotally connected to said carrier bars and carrying anti-friction r011- ers, and an adjusting bar connecting said supporting levers intermediate said carrier bars and said anti-friction rollers to facilitate adjustment of the gripper devices.

2. The combination with a burial vault lowering device, of means including independently operabl and separable carrier attachments arranged for adjustment and support by the lowering device whereby a separable part of the burial vault may be removed and separately positioned while another part is supported by the lowering device.

3. The combination with a burial vault lowering device, of means including movable carrier attachments arranged for adjustment and support by the lowering device and arranged to engage a separable part of the burial vault whereby said separable part may be removed as an incident to movement of another part of the burial vault effected by the lowering device.

4. A carriage device for the purpose described comprising, clamping mechanism including clamp devices, spaced rollers, and clamp controlling lever connectors extending between the rollers and said clamping mechanism and carrying the clamping mechanism.

5. A carriage device for the purpose described comprising, telescopically connected clamp devices, and support means therefor including levers operatively connected for actuating the clamp devices and supported on laterally disposed antifriction rollers.

6. A carriage device for the purpose described comprising, clamping mechanism, supporting levers therefor operatively connected to actuate the clamping mechanism, and adjustable connecting means connecting the supporting levers whereby the assembly may be adjusted in accordance with size requirements.

7 The combination with a burial vault lowering device, of a carrier mechanism for removing and segregating a removable part of a burial vault carried by said lowering device during interment, said carrier mechanism being indirectly supported by the lowering device and including gripping'means actuated in response to operation of the lowering device for engaging said removable part.

8. The combination with a burial vault lower ing device, of a carrier mechanism for removing and segregating a removable part of a burial Vault carried by said lowering device during interment, and means on said lowering device for supporting said carrier mechanism for movement relative thereto, said carrier mechanism including gripping means operable to engage said removable part in response to predetermined operation of said lowering device.

9. The combination with a burial vault lowering device, of a carrier mechanism for removing and segregating a removable part of a burial vault carried by said lowering device as an incident to movement of the burial vault by means of said lowering device, said carrier mechanism including a roller carriage provided with gripping means for engaging said removable part and being supported by the lowering device whereby the removable part may be independently supported and moved.

10. Burial apparatus comprising, a vault lowering Windlass mechanism including spaced supports, an independently operable carriage device including cover engaging means whereby a cover part of a vault may be engaged and removed therefrom while the body of the vault is carried by the Windlass mechanism and as an incident to lowering movement of said burial vault, and tracks for said carriage supported by the spaced supports of the Windlass mechanism and extending laterally therefrom for permitting lateral displacement of the vault cover with respect to the body thereof by means of the carriage device upon occasion.

11. Burial apparatus comprising, a Windlass for lowering vaults and the like including spaced supports, an independently operable carriage device including cover engaging means whereby a cover part of a vault may be engaged and removed therefrom while the body of the vault is carried by the Windlass mechanism and as an incident to lowering movement of said burial vault, and

a plurality of tracks for said carriage device, each one of said tracks having interlocking engagement with one of'said spaced supports and being supported in part by another thereof whereby said carriage device may be supported on the Windlass supports for lateral movement with respect thereto.

12. Burial apparatus comprising, a Windlass for lowering vaults and the like including spaced supports, an independently operable carriage device including cover engaging means whereby a cover part of a vault may be engaged and removed therefrom while the body of the vault is carried by the Windlass mechanism and as an incident to lowering movement of said burial vault, and a plurality of tracks for said carriage device, each one of said tracks having interlocking engagement with one of said spaced supports and being supported in part by another thereof whereby said carriage device may be supported on the Windlass supports for lateral movement with respect thereto, said carriage device including separate end units each one of which is constructed and arranged to engage or release an end of the vault cover part in accordance with movement of the vault body and to support the cover part upon antifriction rollers.

WlliBERT W. HAASE. 

